Still getting a piece of his mind
For four seasons, Carlos Mencia shared his manic, race-related humor on Comedy Central’s “Mind of Mencia.”
Now, the politically provocative punch-liner is busing across America on the “At Close Range” tour.
“The beauty of my shows is, they’re very about what’s occurring right then,” he says. “I don’t know what I’m going to talk about two minutes before I get on stage. It’s all about that moment in time.”
Q: So did the stupid people, those you famously refer to as “dee dee dees,” win or lose the presidential election?
A: This year was a different kind of year. It was more about “We can’t have the same thing” than it was about anything else. Not to take anything away from (President-elect Barack) Obama because he’s obviously a very intelligent, well-spoken man, but the truth is, it could’ve been a one-eyed, three-armed leprechaun saying (in an Irish accent), “I just want you to know I’m not going to do the same thing as the last guy.”
Q: Do you think affirmative action is still relevant now that we have an African-American president?
A: No, it’s not. Once a black guy becomes president, everything you used to believe no longer exists when it comes to racism. Are there going to be racist people in the world? Yes, but that’s just hate. … In truth, a black guy has proven that in America, the dream is real.
Q: You had 17 brothers and sisters while you were growing up in Honduras. What did you do to get attention?
A: I’m not an attention-getter, believe it or not.
Q: So, trying to stand out among your siblings isn’t what started your comedy career?
A: I do comedy because I want to change the world. … For a while now, in this country, the best truth has been told by comedians, whether it was Richard Pryor or Lenny Bruce or George Carlin. There’s a reason why they’re giving shows to people like D.L. Hughley on CNN, and it’s because they’re figuring out these guys can say things that nobody else can.
Q: What lessons have you learned on your current cross-country tour?
A: We all want the same things. Everybody in America, from Billings, Mont., to Olympia, Wash., to Syracuse, N.Y, everybody wants the same thing. We want our kids to be safe; we want a decent, secure job; we want a little bit of money for retirement; we want to make sure our government isn’t corrupt; and we all hope our daughter doesn’t get pregnant before she gets married.
The birthday bunch
Comedian Rip Taylor is 75. Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfuss is 48. Country singer Trace Adkins is 47. Actor Patrick Dempsey is 43. Actress Traci Bingham (“Baywatch”) is 41. Actress Nicole Eggert (“Baywatch”) is 37. Actor Orlando Bloom is 32.